The first time I explored Sicily, nearly 60 years ago, I stayed in cheap pensions, walked around the cities and took local buses and slow trains from one place to the next. This past September I returned with a friend and we retraced a similar route with an experienced driver in the comfort of a Range Rover, stayed in a couple of palaces and dined in restaurants that would be stand-outs in Paris or Milan. Tourism was at a low ebb, locals were taking sensible precautions against Covid, and everything looked better than I remembered.

Though Sicily is still one of Italy’s poorest provinces, it has an unmatched legacy from the past: Greek temples and Roman theaters, Norman cathedrals and the exuberance of Spanish baroque. There’s a love of color and display that you find in period frescoes, street markets and the presentation of fish fresh out of the sea.